Using cinematic techniques to present data

ABSTRACT

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using cinematic techniques to present data. Embodiments of the invention can be used to infer and generate cinematic techniques or combinations thereof based on a model and user action. Cinematic techniques can be used to meet the data exploration and analysis requirements of a user. As such, embodiments of the invention permit users (including non-programmers) to employ cinematic techniques (possibly in combination with other techniques) to gain insights into their data and also convey appropriate emotional messages.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims benefit from U.S.application Ser. No. 15/477,811, filed Apr. 3, 2017 entitled USINGCINEMATIC TECHNIQUES TO PRESENT DATA, which is to issue as U.S. Pat. No.9,984,077 on May 29, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. applicationSer. No. 13/495,952, filed Jun. 13, 2012 entitled USING CINEMATICTECHNIQUES TO PRESENT DATA, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,613,084 onApr. 4, 2017, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Background and Relevant Art

Computer systems and related technology affect many aspects of society.Indeed, the computer system's ability to process information hastransformed the way we live and work. Computer systems now commonlyperform a host of tasks (e.g., word processing, scheduling, accounting,etc.) that prior to the advent of the computer system were performedmanually. More recently, computer systems have been coupled to oneanother and to other electronic devices to form both wired and wirelesscomputer networks over which the computer systems and other electronicdevices can transfer electronic data. Accordingly, the performance ofmany computing tasks is distributed across a number of differentcomputer systems and/or a number of different computing environments.

Users can gain or share insight on their data through visualizationslike charts, graphs, maps and hierarchies. These visualizations havesimple and commonly used mechanisms using object color (hues, saturationand transparency), text (font families and styles) and visibility toemphasize, denote selection and highlight insights for exploring andanalyzing the underlying data. In some environments, due at least inpart to their simplicity, these visualizations make it difficult forusers to effectively gain/share insights about their data. In turn, itis also difficult to convey an appropriate emotional message and have ahighly interactive user experience.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer programproducts for using cinematic techniques to present data. A portion ofdata is accessed from a data repository. The portion of data has meaningbased on data values contained in the portion of data. User requirementsfor presenting the portion of data are accessed. The user requirementsindicate a user desired message to convey when presenting the portion ofdata.

One or more cinematic techniques are identified for presenting data in amanner that conveys the user desired message. The cinematic techniquesrelate to one or more of: camera position, lighting, movement, andtransitions. The portion of data is presented at a display device toconvey the user desired message. The user desired message is conveyed bypresenting the values contained in the portion of data in accordancewith the one or more identified cinematic techniques.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. Thefeatures and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained bymeans of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out inthe appended claims. These and other features of the present inventionwill become more fully apparent from the following description andappended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention asset forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and otheradvantages and features of the invention can be obtained, a moreparticular description of the invention briefly described above will berendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which areillustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawingsdepict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not thereforeto be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will bedescribed and explained with additional specificity and detail throughthe use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example computer architecture that facilitatesusing cinematic techniques to present data.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for using cinematictechniques to present data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer programproducts for using cinematic techniques to present data. A portion ofdata is accessed from a data repository. The portion of data has meaningbased on data values contained in the portion of data. User requirementsfor presenting the portion of data are accessed. The user requirementsindicate a user desired message to convey when presenting the portion ofdata.

One or more cinematic techniques are identified for presenting data in amanner that conveys the user desired message. The cinematic techniquesrelate to one or more of: camera position, lighting, movement, andtransitions. The portion of data is presented at a display device toconvey the user desired message. The user desired message is conveyed bypresenting the values contained in the portion of data in accordancewith the one or more identified cinematic techniques.

Embodiments of the present invention may comprise or utilize a specialpurpose or general-purpose computer including computer hardware, suchas, for example, one or more processors and system memory, as discussedin greater detail below. Embodiments within the scope of the presentinvention also include physical and other computer-readable media forcarrying or storing computer-executable instructions and/or datastructures. Such computer-readable media can be any available media thatcan be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer system.Computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions arecomputer storage media (devices). Computer-readable media that carrycomputer-executable instructions are transmission media. Thus, by way ofexample, and not limitation, embodiments of the invention can compriseat least two distinctly different kinds of computer-readable media:computer storage media (devices) and transmission media.

Computer storage media (devices) includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM,solid state drives (“SSDs”) (e.g., based on RAM), Flash memory,phase-change memory (“PCM”), other types of memory, other optical diskstorage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or anyother medium which can be used to store desired program code means inthe form of computer-executable instructions or data structures andwhich can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

A “network” is defined as one or more data links that enable thetransport of electronic data between computer systems and/or modulesand/or other electronic devices. When information is transferred orprovided over a network or another communications connection (eitherhardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to acomputer, the computer properly views the connection as a transmissionmedium. Transmissions media can include a network and/or data linkswhich can be used to carry desired program code means in the form ofcomputer-executable instructions or data structures and which can beaccessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Combinationsof the above should also be included within the scope ofcomputer-readable media.

Further, upon reaching various computer system components, program codemeans in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structurescan be transferred automatically from transmission media to computerstorage media (devices) (or vice versa). For example,computer-executable instructions or data structures received over anetwork or data link can be buffered in RAM within a network interfacemodule (e.g., a “NIC”), and then eventually transferred to computersystem RAM and/or to less volatile computer storage media (devices) at acomputer system. Thus, it should be understood that computer storagemedia (devices) can be included in computer system components that also(or even primarily) utilize transmission media.

Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions anddata which, when executed at a processor, cause a general purposecomputer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing deviceto perform a certain function or group of functions. The computerexecutable instructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediateformat instructions such as assembly language, or even source code.Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the described features or acts described above.Rather, the described features and acts are disclosed as example formsof implementing the claims.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may bepracticed in network computing environments with many types of computersystem configurations, including, personal computers, desktop computers,laptop computers, message processors, hand-held devices, multi-processorsystems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones,PDAs, tablets, pagers, routers, switches, and the like. The inventionmay also be practiced in distributed system environments where local andremote computer systems, which are linked (either by hardwired datalinks, wireless data links, or by a combination of hardwired andwireless data links) through a network, both perform tasks. In adistributed system environment, program modules may be located in bothlocal and remote memory storage devices.

In this description and the in the following claims, “cinematictechniques” are defined as techniques used in cinematography. Cinematictechniques can relate to camera position, camera angle, lighting,movement, transitions, sound, expression (depth and perspective), etc.Cinematic techniques can include: cross-cutting, jump cutting,continuity cuts, match cuts, deep focus, eye-line matching, differentshots (close-up, medium, long shot, tilt, aerial, etc.), fade ins, fadeouts, flashbacks, focus, iris in/iris out, key lighting, master shots,medium shots, montages, panning, point of view shots, pull back shots,reverse angles, tracking, zooming, backlighting, fill lighting, floodlighting, mood lighting, soft lighting, diegetic sound, non-diegeticsound, etc. A variety of other cinematic techniques can also be used.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example computer architecture 100 that facilitatesusing cinematic techniques to present data. Referring to FIG. 1,computer architecture 100 includes repository 107, presentation module103, and display device 104. Each of the depicted components isconnected to one another over (or is part of) a network, such as, forexample, a Local Area Network (“LAN”), a Wide Area Network (“WAN”), andeven the Internet. Accordingly, each of the depicted components as wellas any other connected computer systems and their components, can createmessage related data and exchange message related data (e.g., InternetProtocol (“IP”) datagrams and other higher layer protocols that utilizeIP datagrams, such as, Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”), HypertextTransfer Protocol (“HTTP”), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (“SMTP”),etc.) over the network.

Generally, repository 107 stores data, such as, for example, data foruser 121. Stored data can have values that give meaning to data. Forexample, the stored data can be sales figures. Thus, values for partnumbers, sales percentages, revenues, descriptions, addresses, etc.,within the stored data can give meaning to how well various items areselling.

Presentation module 103 is configured to receive a portion of storeddata and user presentation requirements. User presentation requirementscan indicate a user desired message to convey when presenting theportion of data. Presentation module 103 can infer the user desiredmessage from the user presentation requirements. Based on the userdesired message, presentation module 103 can identify cinematictechniques for presenting data in a manner that conveys the user desiredmessage.

Presentation module 103 can formulate presentation data for presentingthe stored data at a display device to convey the user desired message.The user desired message can be conveyed by presenting values from thestored data in accordance with the identified cinematic techniques.Presentation module 103 can send presentation data to a display device.

Display device 104 is configured to receive presentation data. Displaydevice 104 can display the presentation data in accordance withidentified cinematic techniques to convey a user desired message.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of an example method 200 for usingcinematic techniques to present data. Method 200 will be described withrespect to the components and data of computer architecture 100.

Method 200 includes an act of accessing a portion of data from a datarepository, the portion of data having meaning based on data valuescontained in the portion of data (act 201). For example, presentationmodule 103 can access data 111 from repository 107. Data 111 has meaningbased on values 121, 131, etc. (e.g., addresses, names, numbers, etc.)in data 111.

Method 200 includes an act of accessing user requirements for presentingthe portion of data, the user requirements indicating a user desiredmessage to convey when presenting the portion of data (act 202). Forexample, user 101 can send user presentation requirements 113 topresentation module 103. Presentation module 103 can access userpresentation requirements 113. User presentation requirements 113 canindicate a user desired message, for example, an emotional message, suchas, happy, sad, professional, upbeat, sarcastic, etc. Formulating a userdesired message can include the use of visual objects/properties.

Method 200 includes an act of identifying one or more cinematictechniques for presenting data in a manner that conveys the user desiredmessage, the cinematic techniques related to one or more of: cameraposition, lighting, movement, and transitions (act 203). For example,presentation module 103 can identify technique 122 (panning) andtechnique 132 (back lighting) for presenting data 111 in a manner thatconveys the user desired message indicated in user presentationrequirements 113 (e.g., through visual objects/properties). Presentationmodule 103 can infer the user desired message from user presentationrequirements 113. It may be that a plurality of different combinationsof one or more cinematic techniques can be used to convey the userdesired message. Presentation module 103 can select one of the pluralityof different combinations to convey the used desired message.

Method 200 includes an act of presenting the portion of data at thedisplay device to convey the user desired message by presenting thevalues contained in the portion of data in accordance with theidentified one or more cinematic techniques (act 204). For example,presentation module 103 can formulate presentation data 123 forpresenting data 111 in accordance with techniques 122 and 123.Presentation module 103 can send presentation data 123 to display device104. Presentation data 123 can be presented at display device 104. Assuch, data 111 can be presented at display device 104 to convey the userdesired message (in user presentation requirements 113) by presentingvalues 121, 131, etc., in accordance with techniques 122 and 132.

In some embodiments, data visualizations are associated withvisualization metadata. The visualization metadata can indicate visualobjects or properties to which data can be bound. The visualizationmetadata can also indicate ways in which visual objects or propertiescan be changed (e.g., scaled, transformed, re-colored, etc.). Thevisualization metadata can also indicate the constraints on values thata visual object or property can take (e.g., aesthetic rules, rules orproportion, etc).

Data metadata can be used to describe the shape of data. The datametadata can indicate whether data continuous values, or discrete, orsmall set of enumerable discrete values, whether there are ranges,whether there is some geometric implication (e.g. location or physicaldesign or coordinates), etc. Data metadata can also indicaterelationships within sets, such as, for example, whether it's a list ofpeer values or of alternatives and whether outliers can be discarded.Data metadata can also indicate whether the data is meaningfullysampleable/quantizable/smoothable.

In these embodiments, presentation module 103 can include logic foridentifying and applying appropriate cinematic techniques. Presentationmodule 103 can go through visualization metadata and data metadata.Presentation module 103 can identify sets of visual objects/properties,mappings of visual objects/properties to elements of data, and therelationships between visual objects/properties and elements of data.Presentation module 103 can then identify the cinematic techniques orcombinations thereof based on above relationships. Presentation module103 can generate multiple choices of ‘styles’, apply one as the default,and show a user the ‘effect’ of applying this technique. However, notall the styles generated, nor all the available combinations, need beproposed for applying to a particular choice set).

Other data presentation techniques, such as, for example, charts,graphs, maps, hierarchies, etc. can be used along with cinematictechniques. These other data presentation techniques can use objectcolor (hues, saturation, and transparency), text (font families andstyles), and visibility to assist with exploring and analyzing data.

Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can be used to infer andgenerate cinematic techniques or combinations thereof based on a modeland user action. Cinematic techniques can be used to meet the dataexploration and analysis requirements of a user. As such, embodiments ofthe invention permit users (including non-programmers) to employcinematic techniques (possibly in combination with other techniques) togain insights into their data and also convey appropriate emotionalmessages.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed:
 1. A method for using cinematic techniques to presentdata in accordance with an intended message, the method performed at acomputer system including one or more processors, system memory, a datarepository, and a display device, the method comprising: accessing aportion of data from the data repository; accessing user requirementsfor presenting the portion of data, the user requirements indicating amessage to convey when presenting the portion of data; accessingvisualization metadata which identifies at least one visual object orproperty to which the portion of data can be bound, the visualizationmetadata further identifying how the at least one visual object orproperty can be transformed; identifying a mapping of one or moreelements of the portion of data to the at least one visual object orproperty; identifying, based at least on the indicated message and onthe identified mapping of data elements to the at least one visualobject or property, one or more cinematic techniques for presenting datato convey the indicated message; and displaying the portion of data atthe display device using the identified one or more cinematic techniquesto convey the indicated message.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein the visualization metadata comprises constraints on values thatthe at least one visual object or property can take.
 3. The method asrecited in claim 1, wherein the visualization metadata indicates whetherthe data is sampleable, quantizable, or smoothable.
 4. The method asrecited in claim 1, wherein identifying one or more cinematic techniquesfor presenting data in a manner that conveys the indicated messagecomprises identifying a cutting technique for presenting data in amanner that conveys the indicated message.
 5. The method as recited inclaim 1, wherein identifying one or more cinematic techniques forpresenting data in a manner that conveys the indicated message comprisesidentifying a fading technique for presenting data in a manner thatconveys the indicated message.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein identifying one or more cinematic techniques for presenting datain a manner that conveys the indicated message comprises: inferring datametadata indicating the shape of the accessed portion of data; andidentifying a cinematic technique based on the data metadata.
 7. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein presenting the portion of data atthe display device to convey the indicated message comprises using otherpresentation techniques along with the cinematic techniques to conveythe indicated message.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1, whereinpresenting the portion of data at the display device to convey theindicated message comprises presenting the portion of data to aid indata exploration of the data repository.
 9. A computer program productfor use at a computer system which includes a data repository anddisplay device, the computer program product for implementation of amethod for using cinematic techniques to present data, the computerprogram product comprising one or more computer hardware storage deviceshaving stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted at one or more computer processors, cause the computer systemto perform the following: access a portion of data from the datarepository; access user requirements for presenting the portion of data,the user requirements indicating a message to convey when presenting theportion of data; access visualization metadata which identifies at leastone visual object or property to which the portion of data can be bound,the visualization metadata further identifying how the at least onevisual object or property can be transformed; identify a mapping of oneor more elements of the portion of data to the at least one visualobject or property; identify, based at least on the indicated messageand on the identified mapping of data elements to the at least onevisual object or property, one or more cinematic techniques forpresenting data in a manner to convey the indicated message; and displaythe portion of data at the display device using the identified one ormore cinematic techniques to convey the indicated message.
 10. Thecomputer program product as recited in claim 9, wherein thevisualization metadata comprises constraints on values that the at leastone visual object or property can take.
 11. The computer program productas recited in claim 9, wherein computer-executable instructions that,when executed, cause the computer system to identify one or morecinematic techniques for presenting data in a manner that conveys theindicated message comprise computer-executable instructions that, whenexecuted, cause the computer system to identify one or more of: apanning technique, a cutting technique, and a fading technique, forpresenting data in a manner that conveys the indicated message.
 12. Thecomputer program product as recited in claim 9, whereincomputer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computersystem to identify one or more cinematic techniques for presenting datain a manner that conveys the indicated message comprisecomputer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the computersystem to infer data metadata indicating the shape of the accessedportion of data; and identify a cinematic technique based on the datametadata.
 13. A computer system, the computer system including: one ormore processors; system memory; and one or more computer storage mediahaving stored there on computer-executable instructions representing apresentation module, the presentation module configured to: access aportion of data from the data repository; access user requirements forpresenting the portion of data, the user requirements indicating amessage to convey when presenting the portion of data; accessvisualization metadata which identifies at least one visual object orproperty to which the portion of data can be bound, the visualizationmetadata further identifying how the at least one visual object orproperty can be transformed; identify a mapping of one or more elementsof the portion of data to the at least one visual object or property;based at least on the indicated message and on the identified mapping ofdata elements to the at least one visual object or property, identifyone or more cinematic techniques for presenting data in a manner thatconveys the indicated message; and display the portion of data at thedisplay device using the identified one or more cinematic techniques toconvey the indicated message.
 14. The computer system as recited inclaim 13, wherein the visualization metadata comprises constraints onvalues that the at least one visual object or property can take.
 15. Thecomputer system as recited in claim 13, wherein the presentation moduleconfigured to identify one or more cinematic techniques for presentingdata in a manner that conveys the indicated message comprises thepresentation module being configured to identify a panning technique forpresenting data in a manner that conveys the indicated message.
 16. Thecomputer system as recited in claim 13, wherein the presentation moduleconfigured to identify one or more cinematic techniques for presentingdata in a manner that conveys the indicated message comprises thepresentation module being configured to identify a cutting technique forpresenting data in a manner that conveys the indicated message.
 17. Thecomputer system as recited in claim 13, wherein the presentation moduleconfigured to identify one or more cinematic techniques for presentingdata in a manner that conveys the indicated message comprises thepresentation module being configured to identify a fading technique forpresenting data in a manner that conveys the indicated message.
 18. Thecomputer system as recited in claim 13, wherein the presentation moduleconfigured to identify one or more cinematic techniques for presentingdata in a manner that conveys the indicated message comprises thepresentation module being configured to: infer data metadata indicatingthe shape of the accessed portion of data; and identify a cinematictechnique based on the data metadata.
 19. The computer system as recitedin claim 13, wherein the presentation module configured to present theportion of data at the display device to convey the indicated messagecomprises the presentation module being configured to use otherpresentation techniques along with the cinematic techniques to conveythe indicated message.
 20. The computer system as recited in claim 13,wherein the presentation module configured to present the portion ofdata at the display device to convey the indicated message comprises thepresentation module being configured to present the portion of data toaid in data exploration of the data repository.